AFL Draft 2023: West Coast Eagles select Harley Reid with the No. 1 pick

Rival AFL teams made overtures to West Coast for the top draft pick, but the team refused to give up and chose to select legendary player Harley Reid.

The Eagles, who had won five games in the previous two seasons, had debated trading the highly sought-after pick for a number of premium picks.

Hawthorn, North Melbourne, and Melbourne all bid for the number one spot and access to the highly rated Harley Reid.

None, however, were able to entice West Coast, who on Monday night flew cult icon Nic Naitanui to Melbourne to give Harley Reid his new jumper at Marvel Stadium.

The No. 9 West Coast jumper, worn by both Eagles greats Naitanui and Ben Cousins throughout their storied careers, was passed over.

As a generational talent, Reid is considered by many recruiters to be the most anticipated draft pick in history.

The 18-year-old midfield player said, “I was pretty laid back with it all, to be honest.”

“I was just super grateful for the people around me and all my friends and family.”

Harley Reid had to defend himself before the draft because there were rumors that he wouldn’t be happy to move outside of Victoria.

Though the young player is from Tongala, a country town in Victoria’s Goulburn Valley, the Eagles are happy that he is not a flight risk.

Harley Reid is the first player selected by West Coast with the No. 1 pick in a draft this century and the third overall.

The top pick was previously used by the Eagles to select Michael Gardiner in 1996 and Drew Banfield in 1992.

As the top draft pick in the competition, Reid also received the first Allen Aylett Medal.

The prize bears Aylett’s name, the late VFL president and former North Melbourne champion who died in September of last year.

North Melbourne made the second pick, selecting Tasmanian Colby McKercher, and Gold Coast matched North Melbourne’s bid with pick three, selecting highly regarded academy product Jed Walter.

…more to come.

Full draft order: